“Under certain circumstances there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea,” wrote Henry James in “The Portrait of a Lady.” “Teatime” is one ...

I went to Brown's Hotel, the oldest and one of the fanciest hotels in London, for afternoon tea. Queen Victoria, Theodore Roosevelt, and Agatha Christie were among the big names who dined here.

This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today. You're an American in London. You've ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Afternoon tea started out as a typically upper class pursuit. Even Queen Victoria (pictured, right) got into the spirit, and had ...